Abbie Gerrish-Jones

Abbie Gerrish-Jones
A white woman wearing a dark straw hat decorated with flowers, and a dark jacket
Abbie Gerrish-Jones, from a 1901 newspaper
Born
Abbie Jane Gerrish

September 10, 1863
Vallejo, California, U.S.
DiedFebruary 5, 1929
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Other namesAbbie Gerrish-Genung
Occupation(s)Composer, librettist, music writer

Abbie Jane Gerrish-Jones (September 10, 1863 – February 5, 1929) was an American composer, librettist and music writer.

Early life and education

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Abbie Gerrish was born in Vallejo, California, and grew up in Sacramento, the daughter of Samuel Howard Gerrish and Sarah Jane Rogers Gerrish.[1] Both of her parents were born in New England; her father kept weather records for Sacramento.[2] She began playing piano and composing at an early age and studied with Charles Winter.

Career

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Gerrish-Jones composed nine operas.[3] She also wrote over 100 songs.[4] Her opera Priscilla is considered the first complete opera with both libretto and score composed by an American woman.[5][6] One of her compositions won the Josef Hoffmann prize for "best American piano work". Her songs for children were used in California public schools. Several concerts were given in California which featured Gerrish-Jones's music exclusively, including "The Evening of Song" in Sacramento in 1906,[7] and another in San Francisco in 1913.[8] "They are the expression of a melodic gift which is often of great charm," wrote critic Redfern Mason about Gerrish-Jones' compositions in 1914, "supplemented by a keen sensibility to exotic influences and the charm of outdoor nature."[9]

Gerrish-Jones wrote about music for Pacific Town Talk,[5] The Pacific Coast Musical Review[10] and Musical Courier. She also taught music, and was a church organist and choir director.[11]

Works

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Selected works by Gerrish-Jones include:

  • Priscilla (1887) opera
  • Abon Hassan[3]
  • Andalusians[3]
  • Milk Maids Fair[3]
  • Sakura, opera (with Gerta Weismer Hoffmann)
  • The Snow Queen, music drama (with Gerta Weismer Hoffmann)
  • Childhood (a song cycle)[3]
  • "If I were thou" (song, based on text by Elizabeth Barrett Browning)
  • "The Meadowlark" (song)[3]
  • "My Dear Little Irish Rose" (song)[3]
  • "Impatience" (song)[3]
  • "My Love o' You" (song)[12]
  • "Nile Song" song)[13]

Personal life

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Abbie Gerrish married James Edward Genung. Her second husband was Arnold (or Arno) W. Jones. She also had three daughters.[14] Gerrish-Jones died in Seattle, Washington.[4][15]

References

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  1. ^ "Samuel H. Gerrish". The Sacramento Star. 1912-08-09. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Measuring the Rainfall". The Sacramento Union. 1899-04-17. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Abbie Gerrish-Jones, Composer". San Francisco Call. February 28, 1917. p. 20 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  4. ^ a b Kirk, Elise Kuhl (2001). American opera. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252026232.
  5. ^ a b "New Opera Composed by Talented Woman". The San Francisco Call and Post. 1901-05-04. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Stuber, Irene. "Women of Achievement and Herstory". Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  7. ^ "Composer Applauded; Enthusiastic to Mrs. Abbie Gerrish-Jones Last Evening". Sacramento Daily Union. February 8, 1906. p. 5 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  8. ^ "Notes of Musical World". Sacramento Daily Union. November 9, 1913. p. 5 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  9. ^ Mason, Redfern (1914-09-18). "Three-Concert Treat Given Music Lovers". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 8. Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Music Critic Praises Voice of Mrs. Mosher". Daily News Leader. April 8, 1919. p. 7 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  11. ^ "Social Gossip". The Sacramento Union. 1897-04-11. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Music Notes". Sacramento Daily Union. July 20, 1919. p. 13 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  13. ^ "Saturday Club to Give First Concert of Season To-morrow". The Sacramento Bee. 1919-01-10. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Former Sacramentan Dies". The Sacramento Union. 1929-02-07. p. 12. Retrieved 2024-04-29 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Sadie, Julie Anne; Samuel, Rhian (1994). The Norton/Grove dictionary of women composers. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393034875. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
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